Missions' Hefner sees no-hit bid fall short

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Through six innings of work, Jeremy Hefner says he wasn't aware he had a no-hitter going.

But after teammate Blake Tekotte drilled a two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth, breaking up a scoreless tie, Hefner's mood changed as he took the mound for the final inning.

“That's when it really hit me what was going on,” he said. “I started getting a little nervous.”

Before Hefner knew it, the no-hitter was gone, and the Missions' win was in jeopardy.

But for the second night in a row, a game-saving double play saved the day, and the Missions held on to beat Tulsa 2-1 on Sunday in the first game of a doubleheader before 3,018 fans at Wolff Stadium.

In the nightcap, Tulsa scored four runs in its last at-bat to stun the Missions 4-1 and earn a split.

Missions pitcher Jeremy Hefner throws to a Tulsa batter during the first game of Sunday’s doubleheader.

Missions pitcher Jeremy Hefner throws to a Tulsa batter during the first game of Sunday’s doubleheader.

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Missions pitcher Jeremy Hefner throws to a Tulsa batter during the first game of Sunday’s doubleheader.

Missions pitcher Jeremy Hefner throws to a Tulsa batter during the first game of Sunday’s doubleheader.

Missions' Hefner sees no-hit bid fall short

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Both games were shortened to seven innings.

Hefner, a Texas League All-Star, breezed through the first six innings, allowing only a fourth-inning walk.

But Charlie Blackmon opened the seventh with a ringing double down the right-field line. Bronson Sardinha delivered an RBI single, and suddenly Hefner's thoughts of a no-hitter no longer mattered.

“I was just trying to win the game,” he said.

Enter shortstop Andy Parrino, who snared a soft liner off the bat of Mike Mitchell and threw to first to double off Sardinha.

Two more Drillers hits continued to make things interesting, but Hefner struck out Lars Davis for the final out.

“It was a letdown,” said Hefner (7-4), who pitched two seven-inning no-hitters in high school in Oklahoma. “But I would have felt a lot worse if we hadn't won the game. I had a blast out there. It was a lot of fun.”

In the second game, the Missions appeared on the way to a sweep after Parrino's solo home run in the sixth broke up a 0-0 tie.

But the Drillers rallied for four unearned runs in the seventh off Missions closer Craig Italiano.

With the Missions clinging to that 1-0 lead, Tulsa's Jason Van Kooten appeared to be tagged out rounding third on a ground ball to Parrino. But he was called safe by umpire Jeff Gosney on what would have been the final out.

Missions manager Doug Dascenzo argued and was ejected for the first time this season.

“We felt like he was out, the game's over, and we win,” Dascenzo said.